It is well known that when an electric field is applied to liquids with anisotropic molecules, an optical birefringence is induced. This effect is referred to as the Kerr effect and is generally defined as a quadratic function of the applied electric field. Thus, when an electric field is applied to a Kerr cell constructed on this principle it changes from opaque to transparent.
Heretofore liquid crystals have been incorporated in fiber optic switching devices as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,794 issued to A. Fenner Milton on Nov. 11, 1975. This device, however, has a relatively slow switch rate as compared to the rate of the present device which utilizes the Kerr effect as the principle used in the optic switch.